And such persons who shall not sigwithin the time nify their consent limited, shall not bers of the Col And it is Our further Will and Pleasure, that such and so many of the Members of the said late Corporation, and of such Persons as shall have obtained such Letters Testimonial as aforesaid, as shall not, within the time aforesaid, signify in manner aforesaid their Acceptance of these Our unless admitted Letters Patent, shall not be deemed or be Members of the said College, be deemed Mem [ege, Members thereof Assistants upon by the Court of unless they shall be duly admitted to be Members thereof by the said special applica- Court of Assistants, upon special application made to them for that tion made to them for that purpose. But all persons beyond the seas at purpose. Provided always, that if any of such Persons shall happen to be beyond the time of the the Seas at the Date of these Our Letters Patent, it shall be lawful for date of the Char their consent ter may signify such Persons respectively to signify their Acceptance thereof, in manner within six months aforesaid, within six calendar Months after they shall return respectively to this Kingdom. after their return But the Master, and carry the Charter Nevertheless, it is Our Will and Pleasure, that the Master, Governors, Court of Assist and Assistants, of the College hereby established, and hereinbefore ants may proceed to hold a Court to specially named and appointed, shall and may proceed to hold a Court for into effect, with the purpose of carrying these Our Letters Patent into Execution, as out having first signified their aforesaid, without having testified their Assent to, and Acceptance of, consent and acceptance of the such Letters Patent, by any Writing, or by any Entry to be made in manner aforesaid.-Witness HIS MAJESTY, at Westminster, the 22d Day of March, in the fortieth Year of His Reign, Charter. By Writ of Privy Seal, WILMOT 3RD GEORGE IV. 13TH FEBRUARY, 1822. ters Patent III. GEORGE THE FOURTH, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. To ALL TO WHOM these Presents shall come, greeting. WHEREAS our late Royal Recital of I Father King George the Third, by certain Letters Patent under the Great 40th Geo Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the twenty-second day of March in the Fortieth Year of his Reign; Reciting (among other things) that a certain then late Corporation of Master, Governors, and Commonalty of the Art and Science of Surgeons of London, had become and then was dissolved; and that it was of great consequence to the Common Weal of the Kingdom that the Art and Science of Surgery should be duly promoted; and that the establishment of a College of Surgeons would be expedient for the due promotion and encouragement of the study and practice of the said Art and Science; of his special grace and mere motion, and at the humble Petition of James Earle, Esq., then late Master, and divers other Members of the aforesaid then late Corporation of Surgeons; for himself, his Heirs and Successors, did (among other things) will, ordain, constitute and declare, give, and grant unto the aforesaid James Earle, and unto all the Members of the said then late Company or Corporation of Master, Governors, and Commonalty of the Art and Science of Surgeons of London, having been admitted and approved Surgeons, within the Rules of the said Company, and also unto all such persons, who upon, or since the dissolution of the said Corporation, should have obtained Letters Testimonial, under a Seal purporting to be the Seal of the said then late dissolved Corporation, authorising them to practise the Art and Science of Surgery; that they, from thenceforth for ever thereafter, should be and remain, by virtue of the said Letters Patent, one Body Corporate and Politic, by the name of THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS IN LONDON, and should be at all times, for ever thereafter, persons able and capable in law to take, purchase, possess, hold, and enjoy, and should and might take, purchase, possess, hold and enjoy, a Hall, or Council-House, with its appurtenances, situate within the Cities of London or Westminster, or within one mile of either of them, for the use and purposes of the said College; and also Further recital of Letters Pa tent of 40th George III. Further recital tent of 40th George III. any other Lands, Tenements, Rents, or Hereditaments, wheresoever situate, lying, and being; not exceeding, together with the aforesaid Hall or Council-house and its appurtenances, the yearly value of One thousand Pounds in the whole, without incurring any of the Penalties in any Statute of Mortmain, or any thing, in any Statute of Mortmain, to the contrary notwithstanding. AND WHEREAS in and by the said Letters Patent our said late Royal Father did further Will that the said College should, and by the said Letters Patent they were required to purchase or provide a proper Room, House, or Building, with suitable conveniences, within four hundred yards, at the furthest, from the usual place of Execution for the County of Middlesex, or the City of London, and the suburbs thereof, for the purpose of more conveniently dissecting and anatomizing the Bodies of such Murderers as should at any time thereafter be delivered to them, by virtue of a certain Act passed in the Twenty-fifth Year of the Reign of His Majesty King George the Second, entitled, "An Act for the better preventing the horrid Crime of Murder." AND WHEREAS in and by the said Letters Patent it was further declared of Letters Pa- to be the Will and Pleasure of our said late Royal Father, that it should and might be lawful to and for the said College, thereby established and incorporated, from time to time in the manner thereinafter mentioned, to elect, choose and appoint twenty-one persons to be the Court of Assistants of the said College; of which Court of Assistants ten persons should at all times be constituted and appointed Examiners of Surgeons for the said, College; and of such ten persons one should be principal Master, and two others should be Governors, to be respectively qualified and admitted in manner thereby provided. Further recital of Letters Patent of 40th George III. AND WHEREAS in and by the said Letters Patent it was further declared to be the Will and Pleasure of our said late Royal Father, that the two principal Sergeant-Surgeons to our said late Royal Father, his Heirs and Successors, and the Surgeon-General to the Forces of our said late Royal Father, his Heirs and Successors, if they, or any of them, at the times of their appointments respectively, should not be Members of Courts of Assistants and Examiners of the said College, should be from time to time admitted Members of the said Court of Assistants and also Examiners of the said College thereby incorporated, when and so soon as any vacancy should happen, from time to time, after the appointment of every such Serjeant-Surgeon or Surgeon-General respectively, in preference to all other persons. Colleg AND WHEREAS it appears to Us to be expedient, in order more effectually Preamble. to promote and encourage the study and practice of the said Art and Science of Surgery, that further powers and privileges be granted to the said Royal College: Now KNOW YE, that WE of our especial grace and mere motion, at the humble petition of the said Royal College, have willed, ordained, constituted, declared, and granted, and by these Presents for Us Our Heirs and Successors, do will, ordain, constitute, declare, and grant unto the said Royal College, that the said Royal College of Surgeons in London shall and may take, purchase, possess, hold, and enjoy, any Lands, Tenements, Rents, or Hereditaments, wheresoever situate, lying, and being; not exceeding, together with the aforesaid Hall or Council-house and its appurtenances, and the Lands, Tenements, Rents, or Hereditaments now held by them, the yearly value of Two thousand Pounds, in the whole, without incurring any of the Penalties in any Statute of Mortmain, or any thing, in any Statute of Mortmain, to the contrary notwithstanding. The mayhold Land or Rents to th yearly value o £2000. College. AND WE do hereby also for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, give and Persons may convey Lands grant our especial licence, full power, and lawful and absolute authority, or Rents to the to any Person or Persons, Bodies Politic or Corporate, their Heirs and Successors respectively, to grant, alien, sell, convey and dispose of in Mortmain, in perpetuity or otherwise, to or to the use and benefit of, or in trust for, the said Royal College of Surgeons any Lands, Tenements, Rents, or Hereditaments whatsoever not exceeding, together with the aforesaid Hall or Council-house and its appurtenances, and the Lands, Tenements, Rents, or Hereditaments now held by them, the yearly value aforesaid of Two thousand Pounds in the whole. And it is our further Will and Pleasure that the said College shall not be hereafter required to purchase or provide a proper Room, House or Building, as herein before mentioned, within four hundred yards at the farthest from the said usual place of Execution, but that in lieu thereof it shall be sufficient for the said College, and by these Presents they are required, to purchase or provide such Room, House or Building, with suitable conveniences, within The College to provide for the dissection of the Bodies of Murderers within half a mile from the usual place of Execution. The title of Mas half a mile at the farthest from the said usual place of Execution for the purpose in the said Letters Patent mentioned. AND IT IS our further Will and Pleasure that the Names, Styles, and Titles of Office of the principal Master, Governors, and Court of Assistants of the said Royal College shall be altered respectively in manner following, that is to say; the principal Master shall in future be called and denominated the President of the said Royal College; the Governors shall in future be called and denominated the Vice-Presidents of the said Royal to Vice-Presi- College; and the Court of Assistants shall in future be called and denoof Assistants to minated the Council of the said Royal College. ter changed to President. The title of Go vernors changed dents, and Court Council. General if on the Court of The two principal SerjeantAND IT IS our further Will and Pleasure that if any Person who shall Surgeons and at any time hereafter be appointed one of the two principal Serjeantthe Surgeon- Surgeons to Us, or to Our Heirs and Successors, or Surgeon-General to the Council to the Forces of Us, Our Heirs and Successors, shall be at the time of such be admitted to Appointment or shall at any time thereafter be chosen a Member of the Examiners on Council of the said College, he shall in that case, when and so soon as any the first vavacancy shall happen in the Court of Examiners of the said College, be admitted a Member of the said Court in preference to each and every other Member of the Council; and that such principal Serjeant-Surgeons and Surgeon-General shall not have any other preference whatever either in respect of admission to the said Council or the Court of Examiners of the said College, any thing in the said Letters Patent to the contrary notwithstanding. cancy. The College to of having s Mace. AND IT IS our further Will and Pleasure that it shall and may be lawenjoy the right ful to and for the said College at all times hereafter, and upon all such occasions as they shall think proper and expedient to exercise and enjoy the Right and Privilege of having a Mace, and of causing the same to be borne by such Officer as they shall appoint for that purpose. whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent. Gurself, at Our Palace of Westminster, this thirteenth Day of February, in the Third Year of Our Reign. IN WITNESS WITNESS By Writ of Privy Seal, SCOTT. |